Thorny laughed in spite of himself, and Miss Celia, seeing that the ice
was broken, wheeled him to his place at the foot of the table. Then
seating the little girls on one side, Ben and the dog on the other,
took the head herself and told her guests to begin.

Bab and Betty were soon chattering away to their pleasant hostess as
freely as if they had known her for months; but the boys were still
rather shy, and made Sancho the medium through which they addressed one
another. The excellent beast behaved with wonderful propriety, sitting
upon his cushion in an attitude of such dignity that it seemed almost a
liberty to offer him food. A dish of thick sandwiches had been provided
for his especial refreshment, and as Ben from time to time laid one on
his plate, he affected entire unconsciousness of it till the word was
given, when it vanished at one gulp, and Sancho again appeared absorbed
in deep thought.

But having once tasted of this pleasing delicacy, it was very hard to
repress his longing for more, and, in spite of all his efforts, his
nose would work, his eye kept a keen watch upon that particular dish,
and his tail quivered with excitement as it lay like a train over the
red cushion. At last, a moment came when temptation proved too strong
for him. Ben was listening to something Miss Celia said, a tart lay
unguarded upon his plate, Sanch looked at Thorny, who was watching
him, Thorny nodded, Sanch gave one wink, bolted the tart, and then
gazed pensively up at a sparrow swinging on a twig overhead.

The slyness of the rascal tickled the boy so much that he pushed back
his hat, clapped his hands, and burst out laughing as he had not done
before for weeks. Every one looked around surprised, and Sancho
regarded him with a mildly inquiring air, as if he said, "Why this